Mansome (2012)

Groom Service

By Jeffrey M. Anderson

Filmmaker Morgan Spurlock (Super Size Me) is better known for his funny, "gimmick" documentaries than for any kind of professional journalism. Mansome is arguably his most insignificant, lightweight effort to date. Never mind that it doesn't provide any answers; it barely even asks a question.

When Spurlock decided to grow a moustache for a competition and then shave it off for a fundraiser, he wondered why it was such a big deal. His new documentary interviews various experts, comedians, as well as a professional wrestler, a professional "beardsman," and other groomers, about why and how they grow facial hair, remove hair, or undergo various other procedures, all in the name of "looking good." The movie raises several questions: Why do men groom? Are they simply trying to attract mates, or is it something more? And, does this make them less "manly"?

Spurlock clearly pads out the movie's running time with interviews with various comedians, including improvised sequences of Jason Bateman and Will Arnett at a spa. Even the segments with the actual interviewees, such as a professional "beardsman," go on too long. Not to mention that Spurlock seems to increasingly find fault with his subjects the longer they remain on camera. The movie subtly ridicules them in an and underhanded way, pointing out their narcissism and arrogance, rather than their humanity or insecurities. The celebrity guests, of course, get more reverential treatment. Some interesting concepts are tossed around, and it's passable entertainment for television, but not worth the price of a movie ticket.